Forgive, Forget, Kiss and Make Up
by Simply Bewitching
Summary: New Year's Eve. A party. Draco, Luna, and a moment of time.


**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Author's Notes: This piece was written for the S.S. Taming the Starling New Year's Eve Challenge. Please read and review. Forgive, Forget, Kiss and Make Up By Simply Bewitching 

Luna quickly ducked into the small, curtained alcove and breathed a sigh of relief. Her father, being a long-standing friend of the elder Mrs. Jesaline Malfoy, was always invited to their annual New Year's Eve party and every year it was the same. Luna hadn't attended this yearly get-together for nearly six years, not since she'd left Hogwarts and become a Dragon Keeper. It had been a mistake to come stay with her dad for the holidays for she'd been forced to get all dressed up like some doll and was expected to mingle politely with the half-drunken socialites. She didn't know what had possessed her to agree to this. She didn't want to be here, surrounded by the hyacinths and lights dancing off the crystal flutes of champagne and the merry music of the band. There were too many memories, too many old wounds.

Peeking out of the darkened space, she surveyed the room. Tradition was not forgotten in the Malfoy household and as was the custom, the elder Malfoys sat in state in one corner of the great ballroom watching the dancing couples and chatting with their older friends. She noticed her father whirling past, Narcissa Malfoy in his arms, laughing and looking as though she were very nearly drunk. Luna narrowed her eyes in disgust and hatred. She despised these parties and these people and she didn't want to be here. She didn't realize she'd spoken aloud until a voice said, "I don't doubt that they probably despise you just as much."

She turned to find Draco Malfoy sitting on a small sofa, his hands tucked behind his head and his long legs stretched out in front of him. He was looking at her with a curious expression in his eyes and a smirk on his lips. "I myself do find these parties dreadfully boring, but I can't say that I utterly despise them or the attendees."

Luna felt a twinge of guilt that she'd been thinking of his mother when she said that, but she figured that what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. And besides, this was Draco Malfoy. The same Draco that used to step on her patent leather party shoes and tug the ribbons out of her hair and spill champagne on her dress at midnight when they were younger. And who used to try and get her drunk and tease her and wouldn't talk to her after she became friends with Harry when they were older.

"Yes, well, birds of a feather flock together," she replied dreamily, coming to sit on the sofa opposite him. He'd grown into his looks since the last time she saw him and he was, if not handsome, certainly not unpleasant to look at. "You've always been a snotty, spoiled, little brat, I imagine you see absolutely nothing wrong with their behavior."

"In a temper tonight, are we Ms. Lovegood?" Draco mocked her. "I think perhaps you've tied those rather, er, interesting lime green hair ribbons a bit too tight. You never used to hate anyone."

"Why did you do all those things?" Luna asked suddenly, forgetting that she had only remembered all those other parties and not mentioned them.

Draco sat up, looking utterly confused. "What things?"

She was indignant in her reply as she listed, "Pulling the ribbons out of my hair and spilling champagne on me and trying to get me drunk and refusing to even bother with teasing me after I became friends with Harry."

He laughed then, a real laugh. The kind of laugh that she hadn't heard from him in over a decade. She had missed that laugh. 

"I'm sorry," he said, after he'd calmed down a bit. "I'm surprised you actually remember all that." It was only in retrospection that she realized he hadn't answered her question, but she decided to let the matter drop for now.

"So tell me why you despise everyone here, not including your father," Draco continued casually. He acted as though everything was normal and they spoke like this all the time. He acted like the last ten years hadn't happened and they were still childhood chums.

Luna sighed, she'd never be able to figure him out and at this point she was too tired to begin trying. It was almost midnight and so she answered the question more to save effort than anything else. "I don't despise them really," she thoughtfully replied. "I was angry with myself for agreeing to come to this silly party and causing my own hurt. No one ever wants to be angry with themselves for hurting themselves. It's much easier to be angry with everyone else."

"Are you angry with me?" Draco asked and Luna saw the tiniest hint of uncertainty in his eyes. 

"Yes."

"Angry because you feel like being angry or angry because of everything else?"

"Both."

He sat straight up and declared very matter-of-factly, "Well, that is no way to start out a new year."

She raised her eyebrows in surprise and said, "Oh really?"

He nodded, his gray eyes twinkling. "And how are you supposed to start out the New Year, oh wise Malfoy?" she asked mockingly, her anger dissipating quickly with the mischievous look on Draco's face. She knew that look and knew that it always meant something fun. Or at least, it always had meant something fun when they were still friends.

"You have to do three things," he instructed her. "Forgive, forget, and kiss and make up."

"That's four things."

He gave her a slightly annoyed grin and said, "Kissing and making up counts as one all together."

"Well, I've forgiven since you said you were sorry earlier and I think my New Year's Resolution will be to forget, especially since I'll be going back to the dragon reserve and won't have to see you until next New Year's Eve, if ever again," Luna replied distantly, lost in her thoughts.

"That only leaves the kissing and making up," Draco said. He pulled a gold pocket watch out of his vest and announced, "It's only a minute until midnight. You'd better be quick about it."

Finally, she made up her mind. He was right. She did need to forgive, forget, kiss, and make up. Ten years was too long to feud with someone you once called 'friend'. And she'd missed him a lot in those years, more than she was willing to admit right now. If he could erase the past and start fresh with a new year, then so could she. With a quirky smile, she said, ""The time has come," the walrus said, "to talk of many things: Of shoes - and ships - and sealing wax - Of cabbages and Kings - and why the sea is boiling hot - and whether pigs have wings.""

Draco simply stared at her like she'd grown another head and asked slowly, "What is that supposed to mean?"

Luna laughed and leaned toward him, whispering dreamily in his ear, "It's all relative. Happy New Year, Draco." And as the clock struck twelve, they kissed and made up.

The End 


End file.
